According to a 2008 report by the
Centers for Disease Control, chronic or
severe childhood stress can disrupt the
Holistic Solutions to Stress
development of fragile brain circuitry,
resulting in a “low threshold for stress,”
by Lisa Marshall
throughout life. Excess stress hormones,
like cortisol, can also damage the brain
region responsible for learning and
A bit of childhood stress is inevitable,
memory and impair the immune sys-
and can even be motivating when taken
tem, leaving kids vulnerable to asthma, in small doses, experts say. But parents
allergies and other illness. can do much to help kids better man-
The good news: Parents who take
age it.
care to shield their children from excess
stress and help them deal with inevi-
Set aside relaxation time: “There is such
table stressors in a healthy way, can set
a thing as preventative mental health,”
them up for better long-term mental
says Lawrence Shapiro, Ph.D., author
of The Relaxation and Stress Reduction
and physical health.
Workbook for Kids. “You wouldn’t let
“In a very real way, Mother Nature
your kids go a day without brushing their
expects parents to be good parents,”
teeth. Don’t let them go a day without
sionflower, for quieting a child in the
says psychology professor Chris Coe,
relaxing.”
throes of a stressful moment. Lavender,
Ph.D., an immunology researcher at He recommends that children of all
in either a tea or a bath, can be effec-
University of Wisconsin-Madison. “It ages carve out at least 15 minutes each
tive in reducing anxiety. Better yet,
helps to guide a child’s biology in the
day for focused relaxation. Put on sooth-
brew some tea and allow your child to
right direction.”
ing music, ask them to breathe deeply
sit in the bath with it for 20 minutes,
and close their eyes, and then leave them
breathing in the lavender-laced steam.
What Parents Can Do
alone.
Exercise: Shapiro and Webb both rec-
The first key step, experts say, is for
Sleep: Sleep produces the calming, feel-
ommend at least 30 minutes of free,
parents to learn to recognize when their
good brain chemical serotonin, while
outdoor play per day.
kids are stressed out, and it can happen lack of sleep results in too much of the
far earlier than many assume. “fight-or-flight” brain chemical, cortisol.
Limit screen time: Never allow your
“It starts to kick in around their
A child who doesn’t get enough sleep
child to have a TV or computer in their
first or second birthday,” says psycholo-
won’t handle stress as well. According to
room, advises parenting expert Charles
gist Charles Fay, Ph.D., president of the
the National Sleep Foundation, toddlers
Fay, Ph.D. Also, keep screen time to an
Golden, Colorado-based parenting or-
need 12 to 14 hours and preschoolers
absolute minimum for youths under 2
ganization, the Love and Logic Institute.
11 to 13 hours. Kids ages 5 to 12 do well
years old. Keep the volume down (loud
with 10 to 11 hours of sleep and teens
noises can aggravate stress) and be par-
Fay says toddlerhood (12 to 30
with about 9 hours.
ticularly wary of television if your child
months) is particularly stressful, as kids
is already prone to hyperactivity.
go through potty training and learning
Nutrients: Brandy Webb, a natur-
“If kids are predisposed to hyper-
to walk. For older preschoolers, chang-
opathic doctor in Tacoma, Washington,
activity, too much TV will exacerbate
ing schools, older siblings moving away and adjunct faculty member at Bastyr
that predisposition,” Shapiro notes.
or parents divorcing can all be stressful. University, says certain nutrients can go
Also, overuse of electronic media—
While some stress can be benefi-
a long way in counteracting the physical
such as video games and Internet social
cial, adults need to be vigilant about
impacts of stress. Omega-3 fatty acids,
groups—could be a warning sign that
looking for signs that a child is experi-
found in fatty fish, flax seed, certain nuts
the child is stressed. “A lot of the most
encing too much stress, particularly if
and dietary supplements, can counteract
stressed-out kids I deal with gravitate
the child is too young to verbalize his
the inflammatory response that comes
toward those things as unhealthy cop-
with stress. This also helps fend off prob-
ing mechanisms,” comments Webb.
or her feelings. Common signs include
lems such as headaches and muscle
While social networking tools
regression, temper tantrums, withdraw-
aches, which can come with stress-
like Facebook, instant messaging and
al and tummy, head or muscle aches.
induced inflammation.
Internet chat rooms don’t necessarily
Stressed-out kids burn through criti-
cause stress, experts advise, a child who
Hyperactivity Can
cal nutrients, particularly calcium, so
spends too much time with them may
Signal Stress
a balanced diet is critical. Magnesium
get behind on homework, adding to
supplements are known to help relieve
their stress.
“We see a lot of kids and families who
anxiety and stress. Vitamins C and E
Worse yet, they’ll rob themselves
are in a perpetual state of fight or flight
boost immune function.
of time spent playing face-to-face with
and sadly, the kids get wrongly diag-
friends outdoors in the fresh air. Watch
nosed with learning and behavior disor-
Botanicals: Webb recommends calming
any kid at play: There is no better stress
ders, such as ADHD (Attention Deficit
herbal tinctures, such as catnip and pas-
reliever.
Hyperactivity Disorder),” says Fay.
August 2009
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